Interviewed and edited by Anne Marie Cummings • May 2, 2009 In ninth grade, the president of the Key Club came up to me,
handed me a sheet of paper with a piece of candy attached to it and said, “Come to our next Key Club meeting!” As silly as this sounds, the first thing that went through my head was that she belonged to a club that made keys. I wasn’t sure what to think, but I dragged a friend with me to the meeting, and we lingered in a corner because we didn’t know what was going on they were handing out slices of cheese pizza and sign-up-sheets for events around town in need of volunteers. I remember thinking at first that the Key Club was a really uptight organization because it was Christian-based, but later I discovered that it was a huge family that was really warm and inviting. Seeing the faith of those in the Key Club, not only that they believe in God, but in the work they were doing, got me hooked on helping others. Helping others never felt like work to me so I signed up for every event I could fit into my schedule. Going to their meetings helped me branch out in the community and understand where people were coming from. Being around these people who are so kind and generous with their time gives me a sense of hope for humanity. The work of helping others has made me feel thankful for what I have. It’s made me realize that no matter how awful a situation I might be in, there’s always someone who has it much worse than I do, and there’s always something I can be grateful for. Being a part of the Key Club has made me realize that some people do have an inner light and have charity to give even though there are all these horrible things happening around them or in the world. With everything going on, people are still willing to help others. That’s what I’m amazed by. If you see someone struggling, put yourself in their shoes and say to yourself, “I wonder what they’re thinking. I wonder if there’s someone out there trying to help them cope with what they’re dealing with right now.” All you have to do is think about another person. Maybe they lost their mother or experienced a suicide, or maybe they lost their job. Maybe that would explain why they feel the way they do, or act the way they do. Put yourself in the shoes of another person if you don’t know what the person is going through, then the most you can do is give what you would want to receive. The golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. What it boils down to is, I can’t become a depressed and bitter person if I can see the good side to everything … that every cloud has a silver lining, as clich&eacuted as that sounds. It’s sad to know that people are depressed because they can’t see out of the limits of their own lives, and they can’t picture the good that’s around them.
At the events with the Key Club, when we sit down to a meal we always say grace before we eat. Even though we don’t say grace at home, it’s not weird for me to say grace with the Key Club members. I feel like I’m respecting other people’s wishes, and I think the practice of saying grace and holding people’s hands connects everyone in one idea and in one spot in time. You’re taking time out of your day to acknowledge that you are lucky for what you have around you – the people, the atmosphere, and the food. You’re acknowledging that there are others who don’t have what you may have.